Air release means and combination in railway air-brake system



June 28, 1938. J. HAM 2,121,774

AIR RELEASE MEANS AND COMBINATION IN RAILWAY AIR BRAKE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 26, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F-II: 5 1.

3 I 1 Z! 7 A 25/ 6 v4 [5/ A/rsupp/g INVENTOR. Jo/m Ham BY W A TTORNEYS.

HAM 2,121,774

AIR RELEASE MEANS AND COMBINATION IN RAILWAY AIR BRAKE SYSTEM June 28, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ja/m Ham BY W m ATTORNEYS.

Filed Jan. 26, 1938 Patented June 28,1938

AIR RELEASE MEANS AND COIWBINATION IN RAILWAY AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM John Ham, San Francisco, Calif.

Application January 26, 1938, Serial No. 187,010-

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to air release means in a railway air-brake system and in combination with conventional elements in such system and has for its objects improved, simple dependable, economical and easily installed means in a system, as above described, for automatical ly releasing the compressed air in the coupled sections of air hose between cars in a train for facilitating the uncoupling of the sections without detrimental wear on the sections in the un-' coupling of said sections upon closingthe angle cocks at one or both ends of said coupled sections. A further object is to provide simple means in an air-brake system in trains for substantially eliminating the dangers attendant upon uncoupling the air hose sections between cars and which means-also functions to set the air-brakes on the car or cars to be uncoupled upon closing the air lineat said coupled air lines before un-' coupling the cars. Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of a train of coupled cars showing the positions of the angle cocks and coupled sections of flexible air hose between said cars.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the angle cock at the end of the carnearest the locomotive, as-

suming the locomotive to be at the right relative tothe cock, the conventional valve actuating lever handle beingraised and positioned midway between the on and o position.

. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a conventional angle cock showing in a dotted circle the position of my improved air release means. t

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through my air release means on the angle cock. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through a,modifled form of air release means.

I through air pressure line connects between cars by flexible air hose sections coupled together between adjacent ends of pairs of the cars, each Briefly described, heretofore in the conventional air-brake systems in railway cars, a

car carrying a rigid pipe line between the .ends of which is the brake actuating means for setting the brakes upon a drop in air pressure in the line thereby creating a differential in air pressure in 'said actuating means to" actuate the brakes.

The flexible air'hoses are at the opposite ends 'of said rigid pipe line and the connection between the flexible sections and the ends of the pipe comprise angle cocks or valves in which the trains.

valve is actuated by a handle for turning thereof to on and off position. In freight trains the through air line ordinarily must carry 90 lbs.

.pressure to the square inch and in passenger tween cars, the operator is supposed to first turn the angle cock nearest the locomotive or engine at the desired sections to oif position and then to turn the angle cock adjacent thereto on the next succeeding car to off position. The cou- 15 pling.,=between the air hosesextending from adjacent angle cocks is then broken by hand, or by uncoupling the cans and pulling one hose v away from the other. To uncouple'the hoses by hand is practically impossible where the adja- 20 cent cars at opposite sides of the coupling are on a relatively sharp curve due to the fact that the coupled air hoses extend away from the coupling at a sharp angle relatively, with the coupling at the apex, and in any event a pressure of 90 lbs. or llo'lbs. of air pressure to the square inch is trapped in the coupled hose sections between the angle cocks. Furthermore, if the hose coupling is broken by first uncoupling the draw-bars and then separatingthecars to forceably uncouple the sections, the hose sections are severely strained and the sudden release of the air pressure therein will cause the uncoupled sections to be violently swung backwards and forwards and tothereby endanger the operator engaged in uncoupling the cars. v

With my invention, upon the operator turning the angle cock on the car nearest the engine to ofl position, there is immediately a release in the through air pressure line beyond said angle 40 cock'that results in a light setting of the brakes on the cars beyond the angle cock, which is desirable and is ordinarily required by law, and then by turning the angle cock on the other end of ,the coupled hose sections, a further exhaust is In uncoupling the air hose sections be- 10 sealing seat between the valve and easing would not be desirable nor permissible.

In detail, in Fig. 1 is semi-diagrammatically illustrated the hose sections l, 2' between the adjacent ends of adjacent cars 3 and i. Car 3 is intended to be the one nearest the engine. Hose section i is connected by an angle cock 5 with pipe line 6 carried by car 3, and hose section 2 is connected by angle cock 5 with pipe line I carried by car 4 The conventional brake actuating means A is in the lines 6 and I on each car intermediate the ends of each line. The free adjacent ends of the sections are coupled by the conventional coupling 8, the conven-- tional draw-bars connecting between the cars and the removable pins, etc., on the draw-bars to disconnect and to lock the same in coupled position not being shown. The angle cocks 5 and 5' in agl standard installations are at opposite sides 0 the draw-bars, thus the hose sections extend transversely across and below the draw bars, which arrangement causes the relatively acute angle of the hose sections relatively where the cars are on a sharp curve.

In Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of angle cock 5 with the conventionalvalve actuating arm lifted and turned half way between the on and "off positions to clearly show my invention and the means for actuating the same.

The conventional angle cock carries thereon the usual movable taper valve plug that fits against a taper seat in the valve casing, which seat is a brass or bronze bushing. The valve plug is extended out of the upper side of the casing which extension is in the form of a square shaft I0 (Fig. 3) secured to which is a collar H having laterally projecting lugs l2 projecting from the upper edge of the collar at opposite sides thereof and a vertical rib i3 is formed on and projects outwardly from a side of the'collar midway between said lugs l2.

A handle I l for actuating the valve plug is. enlarged at one end as at l5, which enlarged end is formed with a generally annular opening adapted to relatively loosely receive the collar Ii therein; which handle is pivotally connected with the collar by a pivot iii thatextends horizontally through a lug i1 formed on said collar l and the sides of a slot l8 formed in enlargement l5 of the handle.

The inner side of the enlarged portion of the handle opposite the pivot is also. vertically slotted to pass the rib I3. Thus the handle it may be swung up and down on pivot i6, but at all times the upward swing islimited by the lugs l2 on the collar ll engaging enlargement l5 of the handle. The handle, being relatively heavy, will normally tend to swing downwardly to a position in which the enlarged end l5 thereof and collar ii are in the same plane. The underside of enlarged end i5 of the handle is formed with a pair of downwardly'projecting lugs 20, 20' (Fig. 2), which lugs are at opposite sides of the opening'in said enlarged end and equally spaced from I the handle it.

When the-handle i4 is in the position indicated in Fig. 3, or when the valve is in oil'" position, a downward projection iii of rib i3 will engage a projecting Jug 2i formed on the valve casing 5 and at the same time lug 20 on the enlarged end l5 of the. handle will be positionedsubstantially against a lug 2|, which also prolug 20 about in a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the casing. The engagement between projection 13' and lug 2i prevents further movement of the valve handle to beyond the "01? position, and the engagement between lugs 20, 2| prevents movement of the handle in the opposite direction. However. upon swinging handle it upwardly, the lugs 20, 2| are disengaged and the handle may be turned to the left until projection I3 engages lug 2|, and then when the handle is dropped, the lug 20' engages the lateral face lug 2| and the valve is again locked against turning in opposite directions. Y

I provide adjacent the lug 2| a valve means adapted to be actuated by the lug 20 of the handle when the latter is dropped to locking position after the valve handle I4 is turned to close the main valve. Referring to Fig. 4, this valve means comprises a threaded plug 23. threadedly engaging in an opening through the valve casing along side, but spaced from the main valve and its seat. Said plug is centrally apertured to pass a stem 24 connected at one end to disk or cone valve member 25, which latter is formed with tapered sides toseat against seat 26 within the plug, said member 25 and the stem being forced upwardly by expansion coil spring 21 which reacts between disk 25 and a shoulder 28 therebelow formed'either in the bore in which the plug'is seated or which may be formed in the lower end of the plug 23. The upper end of stem 24 carries a cap or button 29 adapted to be engaged by lug 20 when the handle is dropped. The projection l3 of rib i3 is, of course, willciently elevated to clear the cap 29 when the handle i4 is turned to open the main valve.

Upon dropping handle II when the main valve is turned to ofi position, the depression of valve 25 will eifect a release of the air in the.

air hose adjacent thereto, and since the angle valve nearest the engine is closed. first, the re sult of releasing said air will cause the brakes to lightly set in the cars rearwardly of said When the adjacent angle cock. at"

angle valve. the other end of the coupled section is closed, and the handle released to drop in locked position, the air line beyond said latter angle cock is closed but a further release of air in the coupled hose section is eflected, whereby the air lease valve in which a ball 30 is substituted for the disk and in which the plug mounting the ball carries an apertured disk 3|. threadedly engaged in the lower end of the plug for supplying the spring that reacts betweensaid disk and ball to hold the ball seated against valve seat 32 when the cap 29is depressed. The cap IQ' carries stem 24 that engages the upper side of the ball to depress the latter for opemng the valve. The aperture in plug body 23 of Fig. 4 or plug body 23 of Fig. 5 is circular and the stems 24, 24' both being square permit ready release of air therepast through the plug from within the valve casing mounting the main valve of the angle cock, but it is of course obvious that other means may be used. However, by the above means, there is little chance of dirt or impurities stopping up the air passage since the valve stem moves withjeach actuation of the small or auxiliary air release valve and since the valve seat in each type of 'valve faces downwardly, the dirt will not collect on said seat, and is free to fall over the valve disk or ball to drop into the main air line. The type of valve body mounting either the ball 30 or disk 25 may be formed with a nut at its upper end interfering with the main valve and without reducing the efllciencybf the seal of the main valve,

valve actuating means comprising a handle se- .and without restricting the flow of air through the main .valve and its inlets and outlets. Also, my release valve is fully protected by the enlargement I5 of the handle it and by lug 2| against injury from the side or top of the angle cock, and

cannot be stepped on by the operator or others. The release valve must be positively moved to open the same, and when closed will not leak since it has the air pressure in the line as well as the spring to hold it closed. Replacements may be quickly made if and when desired, with negligible cost and the saving in the flexible air hoses, due to elimination of the excessive flexing thereof when the coupled sections are broken without release of air pressure therein, is materially reduced. Also, of course, practically all dangers heretofore present where there has been no effective air release, are eliminated.

The air escape through my air release meansv is from 2 to 5 pounds per minute only when the same is wide open, which obviously will quickly lower the pressure in the limited area enclosed by the coupled hose sections when the angle cocks at opposite ends are closed, but in the event of any accidental opening of the air release means .i'or any reason, or in the event of any foreign matter lodging in said means to prevent tight closure of the valve when the angle cock is open, the brakes will not be applied sufliciently to damage or injure the train or to throw the brakes into emergency, since the engine pump will function to keep up the pressure in the pressure line. I! the air release were not restricted, as above stated, but were to release -a large volume 0! the air suddenly, a train travelling at say from 35 to 60 miles per hour at the time of such release would be seriously damaged if not wrecked. Hence the limited escape of air in the line under a pressureof say about '70 to 110 lbs. per" square inch, as above described, is very important.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In anair-brake system in railways cars, a valve, continuing portions or an air pressure line extending from opposite sides of said valve, said valve being movable from an open position for flow oi. air therepast and through said portions to a closed position closing the flow of air thereair release means carried by one of said portions of the air pressure line movable to open said portion to release of air therein, valve actuating means for moving said valvefrom'open to closed position, and means movable with said valve ac-' tuating means arranged and adapted to actuate ,said air release means for releasing the air in said one of the portions of the air pressure line only after said valve is moved to closed position, said air release means being separate from said valve.

2. In a construction as defined in claim 1, said cured to said valve and the means for actuating said air release means being carried on said handle.

3. In combination, a pair of railway carscoupled together, an air brake system for the cars including a continuous air pressure line, comprising a substantially rigid pipe line on each car terminating at its ends at opposite ends ofthe car and releasably coupled sections of flexible air hose extending between adjacent ends of the pipe lines and between adjacent ends of the'cars of the paira pipe fitting carrying a valve therein secured on' each of the adjacent ends of the pipe lines and connecting with the opposite ends respectively of the coupled sections, means on each valve for moving the valve from open position in which air is free to pass through the fitting between the pipe line and hose section connected thereby to closedposition to close the fitting to,

past and through said portions, normally closed passage of air therethrough, manually operable means for moving the valve to closed position, and air release means actuated by the manually operable means for opening the coupled hose 'sections to exhaust of air therefrom when the manually operable means is moved to closed position.

4. In thecombination as defined in claim 3, said air release means being separate from the valve and comprising an auxiliary valve carried on the fitting between the valve and the end of the hose section connecting with said fitting. k

'5. In the combination as defined in claim 3,

the means for moving said valve comprising a handle pivotally secured at one end thereof to' said valve for swinging the handle in a vertical 

